FAYETTEVILLE - Community officials will come together Friday to officially name a portion of Main Street the James W. Cutchall Memorial Highway, in honor of a local fire chief who was killed in the line of duty in the late 1970s.

Cutchall was chief of the Fayetteville Volunteer Fire Department when he responded to his last call on July 2, 1977. It wasn't burns or smoke that led to his death, but bullets.

He and other firefighters were responding to a cabin fire when they were met with a hail of bullets fired by Gary Rock, who purposefully started the fire. Rock laid in wait and began firing as firefighters began approaching the burning cabin. Cutchall was hit, and later died at the hospital, age 33.

Now, just shy of 40 years later, Cutchall will be honored for his bravery and dedication to the fire department when a portion of state route 1008 is named in his memory. State Rep. Rob Kauffman, R-Chambersburg, paved the way for the honor by introducing HB 1342, which was unanimously approved in the House of Representatives in September before passing the Senate. Cutchall’s brothers, Jeff and Tommy, and his sister, Carolyn, along with other family members, were present in Harrisburg with Kauffman for the vote.

"It means a lot," Tash told Public Opinion Wednesday. "He didn't do things to make himself look good. It's been a long time coming."

At the time of the bill's passage in the House, Kauffman said in a news release: "Cutchall, only 33 years old at the time of his death, was widely regarded as one of the most outstanding fire chiefs in the nation. He died a hero in the course of carrying out his duty to save life and property as a firefighter."

"His passion and commitment to his activities as a firefighter are remembered by all those who knew him, and this highway dedication will help ensure all those who travel Route 1008 will also know about this local hero."

Gary Lee Rock, 60, is serving a life sentence in Huntingdon state prison on two first-degree murder convictions for the shooting deaths of Cutchall and Rock's neighbor Wilbur Brookens and four counts of attempted murder.